- Mar 26, 2015
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Well, starting a few weeks ago, things started looking better with my new loft. I had been letting all my birds out, having them fly around my yard, and some even taking off routing the neighborhood, and coming back to trap back into the loft. It seemed like the ball was rolling and I had momentum on my side, and with most of my birds, that still seems to be the case. Nonetheless, last weekend I lost one bird, my best bird that had already been on several trips around and came back... and this past weekend I lost two birds, both of which had also already flown and come back.
All of these birds can't be getting hit by hawks. We don't have enough close to where I live, and it's still summer and they are mostly feeding on ground critters. I cannot imagine they are getting lost, as these birds recently lost had all been on trips from my house and returned just fine. Whatever happened tot his whole homing instinct?
I am at a loss of trying to figure out what is happening. I now have 10 birds left. At what point do I keep them all prisoner until 3-6 months down the road when I have a handful of squab born in my own loft, to start over?
Another problem with this is the fact that it is emotionally taking its toll on my fiance. I know that it is part of starting a loft, but it is harder to get her to understand. She loves the birds, and is now upset that it is causing her more grief than content. This past weekend we lost her favorite bird, an awesome looking all black bar with a really cool white rump and white wing tips, just an awesome pattern, which I really wanted in my stock in hopes it would eventually darken up my blues (I like the darker birds for some reason... not sure incorporating blacks into your loft does that though).
That black bird, however, was one of two of my birds that I just couldn't tame, they were always weary of eating from my hand and would avoid contact. It was these two birds that both went missing this past weekend. Coincidence? I'm uncertain, as the bird I lost the weekend before was all over me, landing on me to eat, flying to me in my yard and was as tame as they could get.
If I let them out one more time and have losses, I am thinking that will be it, and I will keep the remainder prisoner at least until I have my numbers built back up.
Thoughts?
All of these birds can't be getting hit by hawks. We don't have enough close to where I live, and it's still summer and they are mostly feeding on ground critters. I cannot imagine they are getting lost, as these birds recently lost had all been on trips from my house and returned just fine. Whatever happened tot his whole homing instinct?
I am at a loss of trying to figure out what is happening. I now have 10 birds left. At what point do I keep them all prisoner until 3-6 months down the road when I have a handful of squab born in my own loft, to start over?
Another problem with this is the fact that it is emotionally taking its toll on my fiance. I know that it is part of starting a loft, but it is harder to get her to understand. She loves the birds, and is now upset that it is causing her more grief than content. This past weekend we lost her favorite bird, an awesome looking all black bar with a really cool white rump and white wing tips, just an awesome pattern, which I really wanted in my stock in hopes it would eventually darken up my blues (I like the darker birds for some reason... not sure incorporating blacks into your loft does that though).
That black bird, however, was one of two of my birds that I just couldn't tame, they were always weary of eating from my hand and would avoid contact. It was these two birds that both went missing this past weekend. Coincidence? I'm uncertain, as the bird I lost the weekend before was all over me, landing on me to eat, flying to me in my yard and was as tame as they could get.
If I let them out one more time and have losses, I am thinking that will be it, and I will keep the remainder prisoner at least until I have my numbers built back up.
Thoughts?
